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| "Each day approx. 10,000 people are born in the United States. Each day approx. 70,000 puppies and kittens are born as well." Do the math. What happens to our "surplus" companion animals? Click here to take a look. |
| All material herein is the property of A Tail to Tell, Inc., the author, or the photographer unless otherwise noted. |
| Memorials and Tributes... For our friends and companions who have gone before us... |
| Traveling with your pet? Here are some links to help you out! Pet-Friendly hotels, campgrounds, beaches, etc. |
| Did You Know... |
| Click Here to purchase a POP bracelet. The bracelets are new and improved. I messed up the first order and they didn't look quite right. The new bracelets are awesome and so worth wearing. PRISONERS OF PUPPY MILLS |
| I don't need to say anything except: Look at the pictures below and ask yourself if the laws need to be changed to protect the dogs.... Cindy |
| Where can you find us when we're not rescuing dogs? Check out our Calendar of Events: |
| Important facts..... |
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| To See The Video of our July rescue... |
| PRESTON WELCOME TO FREEDOM |
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| HEAVEN LEIGH RESCUED AND DIED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2007... SHE WILL LIVE ON THROUGH OUR WORK AND IN OUR HEARTS... |
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| Our Adoptable Dogs Click the Names below to meet our available dogs and read their tales |
| On December 27, 2007 we rescued little Haley. Veronica, Jackie and I saw where she lived for 8-10 years and it broke our hearts. This little girl had lived her entire life in a wooden shed with no sunlight, heat or artificial light. When the Amish man walked into the shed to get her it was so dark I couldn't even see her. When he handed her to me I melted immediately. I could tell that she had already shut down. She had given up on life and happiness. I took her home and immediately took her to the vet. The vet found evidence of either a home spay or c-section or possibly both. He found worms and fleas and a 4-5 grade heart murmur. We found evidence of a broken back leg that had gone untouched, so when she runs or walks fast she uses only 3 legs. We found that she was a statue. For 48 hours she didn't move a hair on her little body. I would walk downstairs to feed her, talk to her or hold her and she would be in the same spot she had been on previous visits. She wouldn't look at me and she never made an effort to come to me. This little old lady had been through hell and she did not trust humans. Then day 3 arrives and I once again go downstairs to feed her and hold her. As I leave to return to my tribe upstairs I hear crying coming from the family room downstairs. I hurriedly run back downstairs and I look in at little Haley and she is crying to be with me. I am also in tears as I realize that our little Haley is finally becoming a "real" dog. She is learning to trust consistency and kindness. She has my heart. She immediately becomes part of my upstairs family. I watch her over the next few days and I see great progress. To some it may seem like nothing but to those of us that know and love these little puppy mill dogs it is "big". I see her find her bed time after time, I see her relax in my arms when I hold her, I see her eat in front of me and not only after dark. The last night we have her she comes over to the side of my bed and I reach to pick her up but she darts just inches out of my way. We played this game for about twenty minutes and then she goes under my bed and falls asleep. This is a big step for her. She wasn't comfortable enough to sleep with me but she wanted to be as close to me as she possibly could. Have I told you that I am hooked on this baby? Now, on to part 2 of this story. The day that we rescued her Linda Koser contacted me and said: "I may have a home for your Chihuahua". She begins to tell me about her friend, Mary Jo and her husband Tim. They sound wonderful. Lots of experience with special needs dogs and a home filled with love and respect. I talked with Mary Jo and she stated that she would very much like to meet Miss Haley - hereafter referred to as Bernice (Mary Jo gave her that name) We took Bernice to visit on Saturday and I knew they were a match the minute Mary Jo looked at her and said: "You are adorable". Only one that loves the special dogs because of and in spite of their issues can look at an old used up dog and repeatedly tell her how beautiful she is. Bernie fit right in at the home and immediately started exploring the layout. She found a spot in the sun and Mary Jo took her a blanket to sleep on and within minutes she was sleeping like a baby. She felt safe and comfortable. It broke my heart to leave her there but I knew that we had found her the home where she was destined to be. Mary Jo and Tim will love her, treasure her and give her the best of the best for the rest of her life. |
| Mary Jo - Tim and Bernie. Let's pray that she gets at least ten more years in this wonderful home. |
| Scroll down to see pictures of February 28th - 2008 rescue... The poems have moved to our poem page... More pictures will be appearing in a few days. 8 puppies - two adult labs and 1 baby beagle. It was a good day. 6 of the puppies stayed with ATTT as did the 2 older girls. They are currently all in foster care.... Yippeeeee |
| Aggie is a 5.5 year old - 104 pound - Chocolate Lab Aggie is a lover and did not allow her time in a puppy mill to stop her from loving people. Aggie seems almost unscathed by the well known horrors of the puppy mills. She is our lucky 1. |
| A G G I E |
| 1. I WISH THAT ALL THE MILLS IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD BE FORCED TO CLOSE. 2. I WISH FOR MORE BLANKETS TO WRAP THE NEW BABIES IN AS THEY COME FROM THE MILL. 3. I WISH FOR MORE LEASHES AND COLLARS. 4. I WISH FOR EACH DOG TO HAVE A NEW TOY. 5. I WISH FOR ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO HOLD EACH DOG AS IT TAKES IT'S FIRST STEP INTO FREEDOM. 6. I WISH FOR ENOUGH TISSUES TO DRY THE TEARS OF THE VOLUNTEERS AS THEY MEET AND GREET EACH NEW DOG. 7. I WISH FOR THE DOGS TO COME OUT WITH FEWER ISSUES, LESS FEAR AND A HEART AND MIND THAT KNOWS THAT WE ARE JUST THERE TO LOVE THEM. 8. I WISH THAT SOMEDAY SOMEONE WOULD WALK UP TO ME AND TELL ME THAT MY JOB IN RESCUE IS OVER. THAT ALL DOGS ARE FREED AND LOVED. THAT THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. 9. I WISH THAT I COULD SEND EACH DOG HOME WITH IT'S OWN BED. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. I WANT EACH DOG THAT IS FREED TO BE ABLE TO LIE DOWN IN A WARM, CLEAN COMFORTABLE BED. I WANT THEIR FIRST FEW HOURS OF FREEDOM TO BE MEMORABLE. I WANT THEM TO KNOW LIFE AT IT'S BEST. I WANT, WHAT WE DO FOR THEM IN THOSE FIRST FEW HOURS TO ERASE ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THEM PRIOR TO BEING FREED. A BED, A TOY, A COLLAR AND LEASH AND A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TO HOLD THEM. THAT IS ALL I WANT. |
| OUR WISH LIST |
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| E I G H T L A B P U P P I E S |
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| C A S S I E & S H A R L A |
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| The dogs below are the dogs we rescued on March 26, 2008. Happy Birthday Deb. I got you new dogs. Just what you needed. The ShihTzu has no hair on her tail. The little Cockapoo was near death when we got him. His story will fill a spot on our site within the next few weeks. All of them are so very sad and scared. |
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| By Rottweiler Rescue of NY, a fantastic breed specific rescue group Preface The following information may seem harsh, rude, and perhaps even ignorant. If you plan on pursuing adoption from rescue please continue to read no matter your opinion. The following things are meant as information only. These are not all truths in our rescue, but many of them DO fit, and we want you to be aware of the rescuer's side of rescue. We will spell this information out as plainly and distinctly as we can, so that hopefully it cannot be misunderstood or read incorrectly. You may not agree with some of the things said on this page, but please understand that these are the realities of many rescues. This is not to say that it should excuse rude or ignorant behavior, but it lets you have a behind the scenes view. You may have encountered rescues who didn't ever reply to your e- mail, never returned your call, never contacted you about your application, wouldn't let you adopt a dog, wouldn't let you foster a dog, or a rescue person who was impolite to the point of being rude. As you read the following page you will be given an insight to a rescuers day/week/month, and perhaps you will begin to see why so many rescuers are hardened, snippy, crabby people who don't seem to be living in the same word as everyone else. If you take offense to anything below we regret that, but if you are offended it may let you know a little more about yourself and your thoughts on rescue prior to reading it. We are not here to lecture anyone, and if you feel after reading this that you cannot for some reason adopt from our rescue, please find one that you feel you can adopt from. When you are finished reading this you still may not agree with how some rescues handle themselves (and even many rescuers feel this way) but hopefully you will at least understand a little better WHY they are like that. Our goal is to help educate you about rescue…. what it is and what it isn't. WE'LL START WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND RESCUE IS NOT A SERVICE FOR YOU … PERIOD . NOT FOR YOU TO FIND A DOG,OR TO GET RID OF YOUR DOG. Rescue is a service for the dogs. We care about them, the dog is who we are here to help. Helping you find the dog of your dreams is a result of that, but our main concern here is the dog and what is best for each individual dog. RESCUE IS NOT A SHELTER THAT YOU CAN JUST STOP BY TO VISIT, PICK OUT A DOG, AND TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU WHENEVER THE MOOD STRIKES YOU. THERE IS NO PLACE TO DROP BY AND WINDOW SHOP, NO BUSINESS HOURS, AND NO TIMES WE ARE OPEN. Rescue is a group of people that love their breed. Those people open their homes and hearts to the dogs, give them a place to live, and love them until they find a loving home. We take applications, screen them, and then have people come and visit with the dogs in our homes …. See …. no shelter involved. There is a volunteers' home on the end of any phone number you are given. Please respect that. RESCUE IS NOT DIAL A DOG, DIAL A PERSON THAT WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT MY TROUBLES, DIAL A PERSON TO UNLOAD MY DOG .. I'VE HAD IT FOR 10 YEARS AND IT SIMPLY DOESN'T MATCH THE FURNITURE ANYMORE. Rescue is a phone number or e-mail that reaches right into the home of a volunteer who has little time to deal with the guilt you are feeling over giving up your dog or tossing them out like last nights leftovers. They have even less time to deal with you see-sawing back and forth between keeping the dog and giving it up. If you've taken the trouble to find a rescue and call or email, then 99% of people have their minds set on getting rid of the dog. Don't lie to us or to yourself. Simply tell us the reason you are giving the dog up and answer the questions we ask. If we are going to help you the least you can do is help us speed up the process. Please do not think us cold or callus, but we don't have time for every person giving up a dog to cry on our shoulders. We've heard all the reasons for giving up a dog before….. including : * allergies, moving, housebreaking issues, money issues, new baby, too hyper, barking, sick, injured, nasty, uncontrollable, landlord doesn't allow, parents said no, owner died and nobody wants the dog, divorce, marriage, too many animals, doesn't like new dog, doesn't like old dog, chases cars, chases cats, sheds too much, too much trouble, new job, wants too much attention To the other extreme, which includes * it's cross-eyed, it's ears don't stand up, it doesn't match the new couch, it looks at me funny, he doesn't like it here, and he's told me he's not happy. We're not cold hearted, we simply have too many things to do and not enough time to do them all and still listen to how sorry you think you are about getting rid of your dog. If you have done everything you could do before coming to rescue, you should not feel guilty. We understand things happen in people's lives that make hard choices a necessity. We are not judging those who have done everything they could yet still have to give up the dog. We just want those who haven't taken the responsibility seriously to understand that we are not here to offer emotional support to them when they've made a stupid decision and refuse to take responsibility for it. Rescue should be one of your last resorts. Try obedience training, try crate training, try everything you can before you make the decision to give up your dog. When you've done all that you can, then call us and let us know why you're giving up the dog in the least amount of words you can. We'll ask questions, you answer them. Quick, Simple, and Honest. RESCUE IS NOT A PERSON SITTING AT THE COMPUTER OR PHONE ALL DAY JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO CALL OR EMAIL. WE'RE ALSO NOT RUNNING HOME DAILY HOPING WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF EMAIL AND ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGES. WE'RE NOT RUSHING TO RETURN YOUR CALL OR EMAIL. Rescue is a group of people who already have a life, a family, a full- time job, their own dogs, foster dogs, 50 e-mail a day looking to adopt or give up a dog, 20 phone messages a day looking to adopt or give up a dog, calls from shelters needing a rescue to take a dog who is about to be put down, not to mention applications to process, vet appointments for foster dogs…..and countless other things that rescue involves. Of course, this does not include the volunteer eating, sleeping, and having a life, I almost forgot. RESCUE IS NOT A WAY FOR YOU TO FIND A PUREBRED DOG FOR LITTLE OR NO MONEY Rescue is a safe haven for dogs of a specific breed, with people that know and understand the quirks and personality of that breed, and have the knowledge needed to handle that breed, it's medical requirements, and who can access an application to be sure it would be an appropriate home for that breed. RESCUE IS NOT A BABY-SITTING SERVICE FOR YOUR DOG, A KENNEL,OR A PLACE THAT WILL TRAIN YOUR DOG Rescue is a place that dogs who are homeless, about to be homeless, or in a shelter, come into where they will receive the medical attention, physical attention, and behavioral attention they need. Rescue is most times the only thing standing between a dog and a lethal injection. CAN I GET A DOG FROM YOUR RESCUE THAT IS NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED? Rescue is not a place where you can pick up a "girlfriend" for BUTCH or a "boyfriend" for FIFI so that you can irresponsibly mass produce puppies, sell them to homes that may very well want them for Pitbull bait, toys for the children, something for the kids to take care of, or something to neglect and then later abandon. Rescue is responsible about the reproduction of their breed. In fact, rescues believe that they only breeding that should be done is by the FEW responsible breeders out there, and only to improve the breed. And by the way, responsible breeders are not those folks with "free puppies" signs or ads, and doesn't not include Jane down the street who has a few Chihuahuas she allows to breed whenever they feel like it and then charges $500 for a puppy. Responsible breeders are folks that care about their puppies and take pride in placing them in loving homes where they will be cared for. Responsible breeders have quality pups who are lovingly raised, given proper care, and sold only to homes that are appropriate for the breed. All rescue dogs are spayed or neutered before adoption so that no "Accidents" happen. You won't get a dog unaltered, don't even bother to ask. RESCUE IS NOT A PLACE THAT WILL TAKE THE MOST VICIOUS, NASTY, AGGRESSIVE DOGS AND KEEP THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER IN THEIR OWNERS MIND WHILE THE DOG IS MISERABLE. Rescue is a place where the nasty dogs that are not safe for anyone to own, handle or be within 5 feet of are humanely put to sleep where they will be happier, and people will be safer. If YOU don't want to deal with your dog that bites, whom you've loved for 6 years, what on earth makes you think that someone else would want it biting them or their family? We do work with every dog to see if they are just frightened, or have an issue that is fixable, or if they are just nasty. Those who are scared or have an issue that is fixable we work with and allow them time to adjust and overcome their fear. Those who are nasty are put to sleep - PERIOD. Some people think a rescue that euthanizes is horrible, and that's fine, but let us fill your house up with dogs you cannot sneeze around without getting bit and let us see you still save the lives of 60+ dogs a year. RESCUE IS NOT A MAIL ORDER SERVICE TO FIND YOU THE DOG OF YOUR DREAMS, THE DOG THAT LOVES KIDS, CATS, EVERYONE, DOESN'T BARK TOO MUCH, IS PERFECTLY HOUSEBROKEN, IS 3 POUNDS, DOES TRICKS ON COMMAND, AND KNOWS HOW TO ACT IN EVERY SITUATION. Rescue is the place that gets calls from shelters and owners who have a Dog in need. Sure, we may come across a dog like the one described above, but chances are it will be adopted quickly and it will be a long time before we see another one like it. We work with each dog to make them better pets than they were when they entered rescue, but we aren't miracle workers. Every dog has his own personality, and that is what matters. If you want a dog that fits a few certain requirements - okay, that's realistic. But trying to find one that matches perfection is not going to happen anytime soon, and if one comes in that is perfect we have a line 5 miles long of people waiting for it… CREDIT FOR THIS GOES TO ROTTIE RESCUE OF NY! |
| Skully, Sheldon and Cutty Sark.... Three little guys with a wonderful life ahead of them. |
| Candi's Family |
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| Granny Smith |
| Dante |
| This little girl did not survive. She had just a few days of freedom. She will live on in our hearts |